Monthly Archives: December 2014

Years ago, the good people at Honour Rebel Society were trying to circulate the idea of having the man known as Theology 3 run for Mayor in the Toronto Municipal Election.

According to all accounts, the Freedom Writer’s member and man who coined the term “Screwface Capital”, wouldn’t even entertain the idea. Which is too bad, because it is interesting to imagine Theo having got the chance to deliver the lyrical smack down on the Ford Brothers, if nothing else.

Though he might be a dedicated community worker and tireless arts educator, there is no doubt, as an emcee Theo 3 is a monster and a bully. Bar after bar he demolishes rappers, the ignorant, and ignorant rappers (not necessarily in that order), while showing the intellect, insight, and ability to speak “for the people” that made those Honour Rebel folks think that an election campaign would be a worthy endeavour.

Toronto based production duo STAGGERQUAKE are Monsters. The only thing that could stop them would be some brizzaro other version of themselves. (Which is, somehow… in a comic book kind of way, not altogether unlikely).

Timely and potent. “Red lines on a white T, not unlike the nations flag”.

Ian Kamau is (and has been for some time now) an artist of towering voice, vision and thoughtful intelligence. “America” resonates with the soulful anger of sadness. “the anger of a thousand years holds me and never lets me go”.

This is journalism. This is how it feels, for those not consumed by the seething rage of riot, but by the dreadful sense of familiarity of another dead black boy shot full of holes, whose institutionalized killer will not see justice in a land that champions itself as a pillar of the rule of law. This is an anger that will not dissipate when the riots do. This anger haunts us.This anger has been jailed, beaten, shot at… it will not go away.

The Big Sproxx produced “America” moves with a jazzy melancholy, Gil Scott Heron meets M.F. Doom style. A soundtrack for the contemplative moments in (life)times of unrest.

Big Sproxx is going to make protest politics sexy again in Hip Hop music. It seems a certainty. The driving force behind the Freedom Writers, continues to build a catalogue making revolutionary intelligence sound good.

“America” is the first fruit from the IAN KAMAU X BIG SPROXX project… we look forward to more.